In the Internet casino, the name of the game is IPO, and the players are looking to improve their odds. Meet five high rollers who think that their systems will help them hit the jackpot. Alex Markels
The leaders of IBM's 100,000-person IT staff knew that their team had many strengths. But the team also had one big weakness: It was too slow. Thus was born a group of change agents dedicated to speeding up Big Blue. Scott Kirsner
When it comes to launching Internet companies, you can't be fast enough. Here are lessons in speed from a leading VC, the founder of an e-business incubator, and a team of anthropologists studying work and life in Silicon Valley. Katharine Mieszkowski
Ernst & Young is a cautious firm that has embarked on a bold experiment to address deeply personal questions about work. The goal, say the people behind these programs, is to create jobs for life. Pamela Kruger
How do the musicians of Orpheus get to Carnegie Hall? They practice -- not just their music, but a radical approach to leadership that has become a compelling metaphor for business. Ron Lieber
You can't learn what your customers want if you don't know how to listen to them. And listening smart is harder than it sounds. Here's our crank-up-the-volume guide to building a listening organization. Rekha Balu
What's the purpose of a museum? The old answer: to house and to display dead stuff -- the museum as mausoleum. The new answer: according to designer Ralph Appelbaum, to experience life and learning. He creates museums with a mission. Cheryl Dahle
David Allen, one of the world's most influential thinkers on personal productivity, offers his unique advice on how to keep up the pace -- without wearing yourself down. Keith H. Hammonds
Barry Frew is turning high-powered admirals into mavericks. His course at the Naval Postgraduate School combines technology, rock climbing, and "war stories" delivered by some of Silicon Valley's elite. Cheryl Dahle
Who cares where our cars, computers, or clothes are made? If December's "Battle of Seattle" is any indication, lots of people do. A book by two savvy journalists makes the case for globalization. Keith H. Hammonds
Sister Barbara Rogers took over a struggling, tradition-bound school and turned it into a thriving, forward-looking institution. Her secret? "We chose the approach with the highest possible risk." Jill Rosenfeld
An unlikely sentiment? Not to the folks at Happy Computers, a London-based training firm that teaches everything from database technology to html. Its motto: "Experiment. Ask questions. Make mistakes." Heath Row
An Atlanta-based law firm is changing the game -- and the image -- of a very traditional profession. From how it compensates its employees to how it charges its clients, Red Hot Law Group is just that: red hot. Jill Rosenfeld
A little-known unit inside General Electric, the world's best-known big company, is setting the standard for digital transformation -- and helping Jack Welch teach the rest of his company how to get with the Web program. Cheryl Dahle
At Calico Commerce Inc., you will find a staff of Silicon Valley veterans -- a little older and a lot wiser -- building a company that's determined not to make the same old startup mistakes. Chuck Salter
We've moved beyond email, beyond intranets, to the next digital force that will reshape how people work and how they relate to their companies. Oliver Muoto, cofounder of Epicentric Inc., explains the rise of B2E Web portals. Eric Ransdell
Has there ever been a better time to be a techie? These sites are designed to help programmers, Web designers, and other IT professionals get great jobs, find cool projects, and stay in the loop. Gina Imperato
The thinker: Stewart Brand, founder, the "Whole Earth Catalog." The setting: the Long Now Foundation, San Francisco, California. The question: how can we make the world safe for Internet time? Elizabeth Weil
